Mechanism for vehicle lamps or headlights.



A. P. PRENDBRGAST.- MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE LAMPS 0B HEADLIGHTS.

v Arrmogror yum MAY 15. 1907. A 942,211

- Patented Dec. 7; 1909,

MMQ4XZ1 v I EI W 6M0 1W M %lm attonwys,

ALOJtS r, rnnnnneensr or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.-

MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE LAMPS OR HEADLIGHTS.

Specification ot Iietters Patent. Patent-ed Dec, '7, 1909,

Application filedflay reliant. serial No. 373,747.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; Anors P. Pnr.ur n1zeast, of Baltimore, Maryland,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for VehicleLamps 01' Headlights, which improvement is fully setforth mthe followingspecification. i

The present invention is an improvement in mechanisms for moving thelamps or headlights of'au'tomobiles or like vehicles simultaneously withthe actuation of the front wheels by the steering mechanism, so, thatthe rays of light of the lamp or lamps will always illuminate the. pathto be traversed by the machine Whether the same is travel- 111g 111 astraight course or making a turn.

Further, inasmuch-as at-times it is not nec-.

essary or desirable that the lamps shouldso move, as when the-travel isby day, because suclrmoveme'nt naturally results in considerable wear inthe socket's and joints of the mechanism,- means are provided fordisconnecting the mechanism for actuating the lamps, and for fixedlysecuring the lamps to hold them relatively" immovable when sodisconnected.

The invention will be "better understood,

by reference to the accompanying drawings, ,illustrating one embodimentof the inventive idea, and whereinj Figure 1 is an elevation, partly insection, OfihGfI'OHt part of'an automobile; and-Fig.

, 2 is a perspective view of the improved at.-

tachment. 1 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame or body of themachineand 2 the usual wheels attached thereto.

The illuminating means is numeralB, the, samefconsistingvas hereinshown" of aalamp arranged on either side of the mach1ne,-though,1asis-obvious, the in vention may be employed-in connection with a singlelamp or headlight, centrally or otherwise positioned. Each of said lampsis mounted ona suitable support, here shown as an upright 4t providedwith forks 5' between which the lamp secured, each upright at its lowerend engaging in bearing plates. 6 in which it may be revolved. Se-

cured to each upright 4 and preferably formed jintegrally therewith, is,all; arm 7,

said arms being joined bye-connecting device'jormed of rods 8;ai1'd'? l,;to thefendt that movement imparted to "one lamp shall be transmitted totheother. The outer ends of said rods 8 and 9 are pivoted to arms 7 andindicated by. f

hood 19, Said sleeve is also provided with.

the inner ends thereof engage in sleeve 10,

which sleeve is movable to regulate the, ef'-' l fective' length of saidrods so that the lamps may be adjusted into parallelism.

The usual. steering wheel 11 is secured" at one end of bar 12, the outerend of which projects into casin 13 secured to the frame of the machine'iears '14 and 15 are suitably mounted in said casing and are engaged byworm 16 arranged between; said 1 gears and sehured on said bar 12, saidworm being provided with thrust bearings 13.

Gear 14, crank 14 and rod 14 constitute part of the means for effectingtheangular turning of the front wheels 2, and gear 15 part of themechanism for 'eflecting a similar turning of the'lamps To shaft 1'1 onwhich said gear'15 is mounted, is fixedly secured crank arm 18 whiehprojects up into hood 19 and which is connected to arm 20, rigidlysecured to one of the uprights 4t, by, a

suitable connecting device. This connect- 1 ing device is formed inthree sections, the

rearmost one 21 of which is pivoted at one end to crank arm 18 and isprovided at its other end with a hook 22 which engages a pin 23-of yoke24 formed on one end of the middle section 25; The other end of thismiddle section 25 is supplied with a sleeve 26 into which projects oneend of the foremost section 27, a pin 28 passing through adjacent endsof the two last-mentioned sections and securing them together. The frontend of section 27*is rov'ided' with a pin which engages in me ongatedslot in; arm 20. Section 27 is provided with an opening or slot 29-and,passes through a sleeve 30 secured in the front wall 31 of openings orslots: 32 which-are arranged to:

be brought into register, when desired, with slot29g'in section 27', apin 33 then be ng pas's'edthrough said "alined openings to 1m: mobilizesection 2'1- and, accordingly,' the lam or:lampsconnectedthoreto.

T e" operat on of thedevieeis asfolljows:

"When hand wheel" 11- is revolved worm 16 rotates anisr'n car 14; and,throughisuitable mechr not shown) effects the turning o fi front wheels2 to the desired extent. Snnul taneously therewith similar movement isiml parted to gear. 15 and, through'theconnecA tions herer foredescribed, lamps 3 are turned concurrently with said wheels 2 and 116* ame angular, distance. When,

through the now, it is desired to prevent said lamps from i the wheelsbeing actuated by said steering wheel 11, and fromyrnoving angularlywith the front wheels 2,ho od I9"is raised, the hook of sec-' tion 21 isdisconnected from the pin of section 25, and the free end of saidsection 21 is elevated and rested on bracket 34 suitably and this iseifected by aliningthe openings in section 27 and sleeve 30 and passinpin 33 therethrough, thus effectively immo ilizing the lamp or lamps.The connection between sections 25 and. 27 is to permit the latter to beremoved through sleeve 30 when desired, ivhich would be impossible butfor this connection, on account of the size of the yoke on section 25and the enlarged outer end of section 27. a

It will be observed that the improved device'is an attachment of greatsimplicity which may readily be applied to any kind of vehicle, and thatthe movement of the lamps is not dependent upon the movement of thewheels, but that the lamp-actuating mechanism and the means foreffecting the angular turning of the wheels are arranged in parallel.This conduces to a very simple and efiicien't construction and onewhich-may be rapidly adjusted should it, by chance, he; comedisarranged. i

What is-claimed is 1. In an automobile or similar vehicle, a

steering rod, a gear connected thereto and constituting art of themechanism for steering the vehicle, a lamp, a rotatable upright on whichsaid lamp is mounted, an arm fixed to said upright, a second gearconnected to said steering rod, a crank arm secured thereto, andconnections between said arms whereby said lamp is, moved concurrentlywith the angular movement of the wheels.

i '2. In an automobile or similar vehicle,- a steering rod connectionstherebetween and or changing the angular{position of'the latter, agearconnected to' said rod, a plurality of lamps, a rotatable upright onwhich each lamp is mounted,, n- 'nections between said lamps, an armfixed to one of said uprights, and connections between said gear and armindependent of said first-mentioned connections whereby said lamps aremoved angularly concurrently with the angular movement of the wheels.

'3. In-an automobile or similar vehicle, a steering device, a pluralityof lamps, a twopart connecting rod between said lamps, the two parts ofsaid rod being adjustably connected whereby the rod may be lengthened orshortened, and connections between said steering device and one of saidlamps whereby said lamps are moved angularly concurrently with theangular movement of the wheels.

4. In an automobile or similar vehicle, a steering device, a lamp, asectional connecting rod between said steering device and lamp, meansfor disconnecting said sections, one of said sections being providedwith a slot adapted to be alined with a slot on a fixed part of themachine, and means for engaging said alined slots to immobilize the lampwhen so disconnected.

5. In an automobile or similar vehicle, a hood, a steering device, alamp, a sectional connecting rod between said steering device and lamp,means for disconnecting said sections, a bracket for supporting oneendof a section when so disconnected, a sleeve arranged in the frontwall of the hood and provided with, a slot adapted to be alined with aslot in one of said sections, and means for engaging said alined slt tsto immobilize the lamp when so disconnected.

6. In an automobile or similar vehicle, the combination of a steeringrod, a worm-wheel on said od, a gear intermeshing with said worm-wheel,connections comprisin a lever and shaft therebetween and the wheels forchanging the angular position of the latter, a plurality of lamps, arotatable upright on which each lamp is mounted, connections betweensaid lamps, an arm fixed to one of said uprights, and connectionsbetween said worm-wheel and arm, independent of said lever and shaft,whereby said lamps are moved angularly concurrently with the angularmovement ofthe wheels.

In testimony whereof-I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. P

ALOIS P. PRENDERGAST Witnesses:

- JOHN J. FABRENs,

WILLIAM B. KERKAM.

